Pipe positioning device for a drilling derrick



March 25,1958 I M. RUE 2,828,024

PIPE POSITIONING DEVICE FOR A DRILLING DERRICK v Filed July 15, 1-953 Air Supply INVENTOR. Martin E. True,

AT ORIVE).

United States Patent F PIPE POSITIONING DEVICE FOR A DRILLING DERRICK Application July 15, 1953, Serial No. 368,192: 4 Claims. Cl. 214-225 This application is directed to a device for positioning a suspended section of drill pipe. in a drilling derrick.

Inthedrilling of boreholes in the conventionalmetho'd using a rotary drill rig, it is" customary when returning the drill bit into the borehole'to move sections of the, drill pipe from racking position at the side of the derrick to the center of the derrick while supporting them from an elevator attached to the traveling block. Since the suspended section or drill pipe is in effect a' pendulum, it tends to oscillate. In' order to couple the. lower end of the suspended pipe with the upper end of the drill stem in the borehole, it is essential to stop such oscillation and to position the suspended section of pipe so that its center line coincides with that of'the drill stem in the borehole so that the screw threads on theiend of the suspended pipe may engage with or. stab thethreads on the upper end of the drill stem.

The present invention is directed to an assembly for absorbing the shock as a suspended section of drill pipe swings from racking position to the center of the derrick and for positioning the suspended pipe 50 that its center line coincides with that of the drill pipe in the borehole.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention may be seen from the following description taken in conjunction with the drawingtin which:

Fig. l is a top view showing an embodiment of the present invention, and

Fig. 2 is a side view of the embodiment of Fig; l.

In the drawing a portion or side of a drilling derrick is shown as A, at the center of which is a conventional rotary table B. Slips C are arranged in the rotary table for suspending a portion of the drill stem in the borehole, the upper end of which is indicated by dashed lines D.

The main parts of the assembly of the present application. are base member E, pipe receiving member F, cylinder and piston assembly G, latching assembly H and valves J and K. The lower end of a suspended section of drill" pipe is indicatedby dashed lines M as being engaged by the assembly with its center line coinciding 'withthe center line of the drill=stem D.

The base member E is hingedly attached to the side of derrick A by brackets 11, 11 secured to the side of the derrick and readily removable pins or bolts 12, 12 This arrangement provides a hinged mounting so that the assembly may be turned up against the side of a derrick when it is desired to have the derrick floor clear. The device may also be readily removed from the derrick when desired. The base member is held in a horizontal position by two spaced cables 13, 13 each of which has one end secured by bracket to the side of the derrick above bracket 11 and its other end secured to base member E by a bracket 15.

Base member E is provided with guide rails 20 for slidably receiving member P so that member F is free to move longitudinally along rails 20. Cylinder and piston assembly G is of a conventional type and in order to simplify the drawing, the details of its construction are not shown. As seen in the drawing, a cylinder 21 is 2,823,024 Patented Mar. 25, 1958 ICC mounted on member G and is fixed thereto by fastening membersz22, 22. A piston rod 23 projects from the end thereof and is secured to member F by a pin or a bolt 24'. It will be understood that a piston, not shown in the drawing, is arranged slidably within cylinder 21 and is attached to piston'rod23.

Valve: 1' may bf a conventional 4-way bleeder' type valve with a center neutral position. In order to simplify theshowingof thctdrawingrthe details of construction of this valve are not shown. Valve J is supplied with compressed air by a suitable means, such as an air compressor not shown in the. drawing, connected to air main L and isprovided with a delivery line 26 connected to the head cndfof cylinder 21*. of assembly. G and delivery line 27 connected. to the. piston rod end of cylinder 21'. For purpose: of illustratiomfit will be assumed that when operatinghandle 28 is in the position as shown by solid lines: that the' valve'] is in its neutral position and holds the compressed air. pressure in both lines 26 and 27 so that the assembly. G serves as a shock absorber. When the operating handle is moved to the position shown by dashed lines. 29, compressedai r is supplied through delivery line'26 and is bled to the atmosphere by line 27, thus positioning'member'F to the position shown by solid lines, andlwhen the operating handle is moved to the position, shown by dashed lines 30, compressed air 'is deliv ered: through line 27' and bled from line 26 and forces member F to theretracted position indicatedby dashed linesfilinFig; l.

The. pipe receiving portion of member F consists of two arms 40' and 41 which have pipe receiving surfaces 42 and 43 respectively which form a V shaped opening for receiving a section ofpipe. The clamping or latching meansH ser esto restrain the pipe in the position shown by dashed lines Min Figs. 1 and 2.

The pipe latching assembly H consists of a latching member 45"attached by pivot 46 to member F and a cylinder and piston power assembly shown as cylinder 47 and piston rod 48' which is attached to member 45 by pivot 49: The cylinder and piston power assembly of the assembly H is conventional to the art, and'in order to simplify. the drawing, details of construction arenot shown, A piston, not shown in the drawing, is slidably arranged within' cylinder 47 and is attached'to piston rod 48.

Valve K' may be a conventional 4-way bleeder type valve and in order to simplify the drawing, the details of construction of the valve are not shown. The inlet of the valve is connectedto compressed air line L. Delivery line 50 connects the valve to the head end of cylinder 47 and delivery line 51 connects it to the piston rod end of cylinder 47. For the purpose of explaining the invention it will be assumed that when the operating handle 52 is shown in the position indicated by solid lines, air is delivered through the valve to delivery line 50,'and is bled to the atmosphere from line 51, thus biasing the' piston, not shown in. the drawing, in cylinder 47 away from the head end of cylinder 47 and causing latching member 45 to engage section of pipe L as shown in the drawing. It will also be assumed that when the operating handle/of valve K is moved 'to the position shown by dashed lines 53, compressed air is delivered through valve K to delivery line 51 and is'bled torthe atmosphere from line 50, thus biasing the piston, not shown in the 'drawing, in cylinder 47 to the head end of the cylinder and' causing the latching member 45 tofs-wingopen, thus releasing .a section of.pipe,- if there be one, in the V-shaped opening of member F and placing the latching assembly H in position for engaging with another section of pipe.

It will be seen that the present invention is directed to a pipe positioning member adapted for absorbing the shock of a section of pipe as it is swung from its racking position to the center of the derrick and which positions the pipe at the center of the derrick so that its center line will coincide with the center line'. of drill pipe in the borehole, thus allowing the suspended section of pipe to be readily engaged or stabbed in the threads of the upper end of the drill stem. The device of the present invention is connected to the side of the derrick through releasable hinged mounting so that it may be readily removed from the derrick if desired, or alternatively so that it may be rotated upwardly aboutsaid hinged mounting to rest against the side of the derrick to clear the derrick floor.

I claim:

1. A device for receiving and centering a vertical section of pipe being swung from a racked position on a derrick floor to the center of the derrick, comprising, in combination, a horizontal supporting frame member hingedly attached to one side of the derrick, flexible means attached to said supporting frame member and suspended from an upper portion of said derrick for supporting said frame member, a pipe receiving member slidably arranged on said supporting frame member whereby said pipe receiving member is movable horizontally in a single plane from a single pipe receiving position in the center of the derrick to a nonpipe receiving position away from the center of the derrick on one side of the derrick only, said pipe receiving member having a pair of fixed extending fingers defining a horizontal V-shaped opening, said fingers extending outwardly toward and extensible beyond the center line of the derrick whereby pipe is received in said V-shaped opening when said pipe is swung from any of its racked positions toward the center of said derrick, a releasable latch arm pivotally mounted on one of said fingers releasably latching said pipe in said V-shaped opening, means mounted on said pipe receiving member for operating said latch arm, and means connected to said supporting frame member and to said pipe receiving member for horizontally moving said pipe receiving member and absorbing shocks transmitted to said pipe receiving member on swinging said section of pipe into said V-shaped opening and against said pipe receiving member.

2. A device for receiving and centering a vertical section of pipe being swung from a racked position on a derrick floor to the center of the derrick, comprising, in combination, a horizontally extending supporting frame member hingedly attached to one side of the derrick, elongated flexible means attached to said supporting frame member and suspended from an upper portion of said derrick for supporting said frame member, a pipe receiving member slidably arranged on said supporting frame member for horizontal movement in a single plane 7 to and away from the center of the derrick on one side of the derrick only, said pipe receiving member having a pair of fixed projecting fingers forming a horizontal V-shaped opening extending outwardly toward and extensible beyond the center line of the derrick for receiving a swung section of said pipe, a releasable pipe latch arm pivotally mounted on one of said fingers to latch said pipe releasably in said V-shaped opening, means operably connected to said latch arm and to said pipe receiving member for operating said releasable latch arm, and means connected to said pipe receiving member and to said frame member for moving said pipe re ceiving member on said frame member from a single fixed pipe receiving position in the center of said derrick to a non-pipe receiving position in the same horizontal plane away from the center of the derrick and a 4 absorbing shock transmitted to said pipe receiving mem her on swinging said section of pipe into said V-shaped opening and against said pipe receiving member.

3. A device for receiving and centering a vertical section of pipe being swung from a racked position on a derrick floor to the center of the derrick, comprising, in combination, a horizontal supporting frame member hingedly and releasably attached to one side of the derrick, a cable attached to said supporting frame member and suspended from an upper portion of said derrick for supporting said frame member, a pipe receiving member slidably arranged on said supporting frame member whereby said pipe receiving member is movable horizontally in a single plane from a single pipe receiving position in the center of the derrick'to a non-pipe receiving position away from the center of the derrick on one side of the derrick only, said pipe receiving member having a pair of fixed extending fingers defining a horizontal V-shaped opening, said fingers extending outwardly toward and extensible beyond the center line of the derrick whereby pipe is received in said V-shaped opening when said pipe is swung from any of its racked positions toward the center of said derrick, a releasable latch arm pivotally mounted on one of said fingers releasably latching said pipe in said V-shaped opening, means mounted on said pipe receiving member for operating said latch arm, and means connected tosaid supporting frame member and to said pipe receiving member for horizontally moving said pipe receiving member and absorbing shocks transmitted to said pipe receiving member on swinging said section of pipe into said V-shaped opening and against said pipe receiving member.

4. A device for receiving and centering a vertical section of pipe being swung from a racked position on a derrick floor to the center of the derrick, comprising in combination, a horizontally extending supporting frame member hingedly attached to one side of the derrick, a cable attached to said supporting frame member and suspended from an upper portion of said derrick for supporting said frame member, a pipe receiving member slidably arranged on said supporting frame member for horizontal movement in a single plane to and away from the center of the derrick on one side of the derrick only, said pipe receiving member having a pair of fixed projecting fingers forming a horizontal V-shaped opening extending outwardly toward and extensible beyond the center line of the derrick for receiving a swung section of said pipe, a releasable pipe latch arm pivotally mounted on one of said fingers to latch said pipe releasably in said V-shaped opening, means operably connected to said latch arm and to said pipe receiving member for operating said releasable latch arm, and means connected to said pipe receiving member and to said frame member for moving said pipe receiving member on said frame member from a single fixed pipe receiving position in the center of said derrick to a non-pipe receiving position in the same hori- 'zontal plane away from the center of the derrick and absorbing shock transmitted to said pipe receiving member on swinging said section of pipe into said V-shaped opening and against said pipe receiving member.

References titted in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,467,262 

